ALDERLEY posties have a stay of execution as the village sorting office will remain open until Christmas.

And hopes are high that the extra three months will grant the parish council enough time to get the historic building listed.

A notice was pinned to the front door of the Macclesfield Road office, informing residents of the news.

Parish Council chairman Mary Maczkowiak, who wants the building registered with English Heritage to protect it from demolition, said she was delighted.

"We were concerned that we wouldn’t have enough time to get everything together, but now we know we’ve got until Christmas it is a big relief.

"And we have had people more come forward to help us. The Wilmslow Trust has given us the name of the original architect who designed the sorting office and the Edge Association has offered to help as well.

"Hopefully now we have enough information to get the building spot listed in time before it can be sold."

And the campaigning chairman vowed to continue to support the Alderley postal workers, who will continue in their bid to keep the sorting office open.

They are concerned that Royal Mail wants to close the sorting office, sell the building and transfer staff to Wilmslow.

Backed by the trade union the Communication Workers Union, they delivered leaflets to houses in the village calling on the community to support them in their bid to in Alderley.

The leaflets encouraged people to write to Tatton MP George Osborne and Adam Crozier, the chief executive of Royal Mail.

But the wheels of change appear to firmly in motion.

In a letter to the Shadow Chancellor, Mr Crozier said he understood constituents concerns about keeping services local but that the current sorting office in Alderley is not fit for purpose.

He wrote: "I agree with you that the local delivery postman or woman is very much a part of the village and we want to see that close bond with the community continue. All the people based at the Alderley Edge office will move to Wilmslow."